Monday, June 14, 2010

The unforgiving minute: A political-media pop quiz

Which of these famous lines, listed by the Washington Post among their gallery of "spectacularly ill-advised, tone-deaf, insulting or untrue remark[s]" that have "undone" American political figures in the last 35 years, is not like the other three?

(a) "Let's give a welcome to macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia."

(b) "And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over the years, either."

(c) "Don't worry, it's a slam-dunk."

(d) "Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did."

Nothstine is a writer, editor, political junkie, and renegade professor. Contact him here.

*Why p3?

"A good cause is often injured more by ill-timed efforts of its friends than by the arguments of its enemies. Persuasion, perseverance, and patience are the best advocates on questions depending on the will of others." -Thomas Jefferson (1826)